Peroxyacetic Acid -- Prox Sanitiser

[deebee]

I visited TWOC hombrew shop last week and they had run out of Grumpys One shot, my standard sanitiser - orthophosphoric acid. Roy there sold me a bottle of a product called Prox which has peroxyacetic acid as the active ingredient. Like One Shot, it is in a detergent to achieve more intimate contact with surfaces. It is also said to be a no-rinse sanitiser.

Apparently it is "better" and "stronger" than ortho-phos and is being used by a couple of commercial micros in WA.

Anybody have any experience with this stuff? One of the things I liked about One Shot was I could splash it around nor worries, get it on me, virtually wash my hands in it and it didn't seem to irritate me at all. Is this product likely to be as friendly?

Is the "no-rinse" claim likely to be on the level?

 

[Gulf Brewery]

Hi deebee

The commercial name for the product is called Proxitane. Companies like Jasol sell it in 25 litres drums. It is a sanitiser for the food processing industry. For anit-microbial use you mix at 1ml per litre of water, so 25 litres should last a while.
The info I have says "rinse product contacting surfaces with potable water (sterilised if possible) after use". I have heard some people don't rinse.

The is plenty of info if you search with google for proxitane.

Cheers
Pedro

 

[jgriffin]

I think it breaks down to o2 and water, so why would you need to rinse?

 

[Gulf Brewery]

I think it breaks down to o2 and water, so why would you need to rinse?

[post="55923"][/post]​

Coz the product sheet I have for it says too ! I will check in a few weeks with Jasol (not high on my priority list at the moment).

Cheers
Pedro

 

[deebee]

Thanks Pedro. Sounds like you are planning on using it in your new enterprise?

 

[Gulf Brewery]

Yep, will use it in the brewery. Its a fairly standard sanitiser for food processing and used in dairies as well. It is also friendly to stainless steel.

Cheers
Pedro

 

[big d]

dont trust anything you cant pronounce.
this has my tounge tight <_<



cheers
big d

 

[PostModern]

I think I'll grab some of that for the survival shelter. It gets about 106 hits in google if you search for "peroxyacetic acid" anthrax. That's good enough for me!

 

[kook]

Careful with the stuff guys. I got a burn on my hand from it. One of the west coast homebrewers club members lost an eye from it.

Its dangerous stuff. If you're comfortable with handling it then its fine, but I'm clumsy and tend to spill things easily.

Oh, and it needs to be kept in the fridge too. At least I was told to where I bought it.

 

[PostModern]

They might want to sell that at a lower concentration, then?

 

[Tim]

I think it breaks down to o2 and water, so why would you need to rinse?

Its pretty powerful stuff and if you add an alkaline salt to it you will get a really violent reaction (it may catch fire).
It actually releases oxygen and breaks down to acetic acid, which is vinegar. Its the O2 which is the sanitizer.

 

[Gulf Brewery]

Oh, and it needs to be kept in the fridge too.

[post="55964"][/post]​

There isn't any mention of this in the product info or MSDS that I have.

They might want to sell that at a lower concentration, then?

[post="55965"][/post]​

The problem with this is what will you dilute it with. If you mix it with water it should be used within the hour.

Cheers
Pedro

 

[PostModern]

So not really suitable thing to have in a house then?

 

[Gulf Brewery]

So not really suitable thing to have in a house then?

[post="55975"][/post]​

The stuff is toxic if used incorrectly, but there are lots of things like that in the house anyway. The cleaners are worse as they are highly alkaline > pH 13 or acidic pH < 1.

Cheers
Pedro

 

[ausdb]

Careful with the stuff guys. I got a burn on my hand from it. One of the west coast homebrewers club members lost an eye from it.

Its dangerous stuff. If you're comfortable with handling it then its fine, but I'm clumsy and tend to spill things easily.

[post="55964"][/post]​

I can't personally say a lot about it but Neville at Gryphon brewing uses it in his home brewery but will not on sell it to you. I guess thats a good risk/liability assesment

Cheers

 

[cubbie]

Just to bring up a old thread.

I have the same product from TWOC. The instructions say to dilute 3ml with 1L water. I used to always rinse with boiling water, but lately I have been going the no-rinse method. So far i haven't noticed any probs not rinsing.

I also store it on the shelf in the shed, no mention on the bottle to store it in the fridge, and in is on the shelf at the store.

I would question how long it last after you dilute with water. Recently I kept a small amount (about 1.5L solution) in a bucket in the shed. A week later there was a growth on the surface.

I have a question about how people apply this type of sanitiser. Generally I make up about about a 6L solution, which goes into a buck to santise bit and pices and then into the fermenter and finallly back into the bucket. I wonder if 6L is over kill and a spray bottle would for the most part.

 

[pint of lager]

Working out a no rinse sanitising regime for your brewing is one of the most important steps a brewer can make. It makes the whole day easier.

What you use and how you use it will govern your method.

If you can get something cheap, make up a bucket of solution, use it on brewday, dump all the little bits and pieces in it, use a few litres to swish around in the fermenter and then chuck it out at the end of the brewday. If your sanitiser is expensive, use a spray bottle.

Do swap around using different sanitisers. Some sanitisers are more effective than others.

I thought peroxacetic acid was quite nasty stuff to work with, and the vapours from a spray bottle may not be something you want to inhale. Maybe one of our resident OHSO could clarify this.

 

[Kai]

I dunno about Darren but I can attest that peracetic is definitely something you don't want to get up your nose. I don't know if the homebrew stuff is the same strength as the stuff we use at work though.